论诗话传诗中的“梦中作”现象

A Tentative Study of "Poems from Dreams" in Comments on Poetry

以宋代诗话为代表的历代诗话,记录了不少梦中作诗、得诗的故事和轶闻,而且记述甚详。这类不同于"诗中言梦"的"梦中作诗"现象,由于常常被蒙上扑朔迷离的色彩,述者、闻者都颇感兴趣,所以成为古代诗歌传播的一种重要手段,也引起个别诗话家的关注。像宋人阮阅《诗话总龟》就以卷三五、卷三六专列"纪梦门",辑录了46则此类诗话。梳理历代的"梦中作"一类诗话,可以将之分为六种基本形式,即:论诗出于梦,论梦中诗谶,以梦渲染诗作、诗人的"超凡性","梦"与"事"相契,记梦、忆梦之诗,借梦事正误、翻案。考察其作用,可以归结为克服"自卑情结"、引起受众注意、制造审美距离、有利广泛传播等几个方面。

To describe dreams in poems was a common practice in ancient Chinese poetry. Versifying and composing poems in one's dreams were interesting phenomena, which were often mentioned in notes and comments of past dynasties, especially those on poems. For instance, 'versifying in a dream', 'dreaming of the poet', and 'dreaming about a poem'. After classifying the said representative comments on poems composed in dreams according to different contents and emphases, the author divides such comments into six kinds: (1) Comments on poems from dreams. These poems refer to those recorded by the dreamers themselves or by the persons who had heard the narration about the dreams. (2) Comments on poetic prophecies. These comments are characterized by being mysterious, legendary and fantastic. (3) Comments on the transcendence of poets and poems from their dreams. These poets and their poems are overrated in comparison with popular and oftquoted poems from the same poets. (4) Comments on poems that show an affinity between 'dreams' and 'what or who poets dreamed about'. The latter came true; and the poets were either persons concerned or persons closely related to the heroes in the dreams. (5) Comments on poems recording or recollecting dreams. These comments on dreams versified and such verses are less legendary. (6) Comments on poems from dreams for special purposes. The poet, the hero in the dream, took advantage of it to correct the mistakes or 'overturn the verdict'. The purpose or intention of the poet or the hero could be seen from the dream. The dream involved in the poem has obviously made the poem, the poet and what the poet dreamed about special and unusual in color and effect. The reasons why unusual effects are produced in the communication of these poems from dreams can be summarized as follows: (1) To overcome the 'selfabasement complex'. From comments and notes on poems from dreams it is clear enough that there were means by which poets overcame the 'selfabasement complex'. (2) To arouse the readers' attention. Esthetic attention is the precondition of the esthetic appreciation. Seen from the poems from dreams, their illusory, obscure, transcendent features are correspondent to the psychology of Chinese readers, who are attractive to poetic prophecies. (3) To create an esthetic distance. Poems from dreams are in line with the principle of esthetical distance. (4) To become one of effective means of communication. Dreams served as an artistic means to convey poems and make poets known in ancient China that was very backward in communication. At that time, stories, romance and legends were, without doubt, the most effective way to disseminate poems from dreams. 